Lake trout Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 49 Minnesota lakes · 3 in Michigan

Lake trout is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 3 lakes carry documentation. Lake trout is narrowly distributed — only 3 lakes in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the grade on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Lake trout lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Lake trout documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Lake trout Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Birch Lake	Cook	A	18 ft	69 ft
2	Trout Lake	Itasca	A	18 ft	157 ft
3	Trout Lake	Cook	A	18.4 ft	77 ft
4	Mukooda Lake	St. Louis	A	16.6 ft	78 ft
5	Caribou Lake	Itasca	A	31 ft	152 ft
6	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.9 ft	128 ft
7	Hanson Lake	Lake	A	18 ft	100 ft
8	Bluewater Lake	Itasca	A	18.5 ft	120 ft
9	Pine Lake	Cook	A	16.9 ft	113 ft
10	Duncan Lake	Cook	A	21.5 ft	130 ft
11	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	A	16 ft	126 ft
12	Mayhew Lake	Cook	A	20.6 ft	84 ft
13	Loon Lake	Cook	A	17.4 ft	202 ft
14	Gunflint Lake	Cook	A	16.5 ft	200 ft
15	Kemo Lake	Cook	A	17 ft	65 ft
16	Flour Lake	Cook	A	18.2 ft	75 ft
17	Ester Lake	Lake	A	18.8 ft	110 ft
18	Bearskin Lake	Cook	A	21 ft	78 ft
19	Topaz Lake	Lake	A	17.6 ft	110 ft
20	Peter Lake	Cook	A	22.5 ft	120 ft
21	Snowbank Lake	Lake	A	15.1 ft	150 ft
22	Amoeber Lake	Lake	A	18.8 ft	110 ft
23	Greenwood Lake	Cook	A	15.1 ft	112 ft
24	Little Gunflint Lake	Cook	A	16.2 ft	200 ft
25	South Lake	Cook	A	26 ft	140 ft
26	Mountain Lake	Unknown	A	19 ft	130 ft
27	Iron Chief Complex Lake	St. Louis	A	24.5 ft	262.1 ft
28	West Pike Lake	Cook	A	19 ft	120 ft
29	Sagamore Mine Lake	Crow Wing	A	23.8 ft	210 ft
30	Little Trout Lake	St. Louis	A	20.3 ft	95 ft
31	East Bearskin Lake	Cook	B	14 ft	66 ft
32	Rose Lake	Cook	B	14.6 ft	130 ft
33	Ogishkemuncie Lake	Lake	B	11.5 ft	75 ft
34	Strup Lake	Lake	B	10 ft	195 ft
35	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	B	11.5 ft	150 ft
36	Mesaba Lake	Cook	B	10 ft	65 ft
37	Tarry Lake	Cook	B	13 ft	66 ft
38	Rivalry Lake	Lake	B	10 ft	100 ft
39	Gilbert Pit Lake	St. Louis	B	11.5 ft	443 ft
40	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	C	8.2 ft	150 ft
41	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	C	9.8 ft	150 ft
42	Little Saganaga Lake	Cook	C	7 ft	150 ft
43	Lac la Croix Lake	St. Louis	C	8 ft	168 ft
44	Watap Lake	Cook	C	9 ft	210 ft
45	Rove Lake	Cook	C	9 ft	130 ft
46	Long Island Lake	Cook	C	9.1 ft	85 ft
47	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	D	4.1 ft	150 ft
48	Crooked Lake	Cook	D	5.5 ft	66 ft
49	Chaser Lake	Cook	F	1 ft	65 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have lake trout?

Lake trout are found in 49 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best lake trout lakes in Minnesota?

The best lake trout lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Birch Lake, Trout Lake, Trout Lake, Mukooda Lake, Caribou Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.